#PeachysPicks A Peachy's Pick Since 2013, Da Nico Since 1993 Spring 2025 by Nicky Criscitelli, Angela Criscitelli, Nicky Criscitelli and Frankie Criscitelli 164 Mulberry Street Little Italy
Salmone alla Griglia was our favorite this visit
Double the Nickys Double the Fun now at Da Nico!
Nicky the son above and Nicky the dad below.
Da Nico, owned by our friend Nicky Criscitelli, his wife Angela and their sons Nicky and Frankie, began in 1993 and has been a Peachy's Pick since 2013. Frankie was a total peach one day when we walked by in 2022 and Da Nico was last featured in Peachy's Picks in 2018. We are thrilled to return and saw our favorite waiter Tony Dakaj and worked for the first time with Nicky the son and can gladly confirm Da Nico is back and better than ever!
It's not who you know it's WHOM YOU KNOW and we absolutely know Da Nico, and we were graciously greeted as always and treated especially to their amazing Bruschetta the minute we sat down before we even ordered because that is the kind of hospitality Da Nico has mastered and why we have loved them for a dozen years. They tell us they do this for their friends, family and vips. You should order it if it is your first time! The flat-oven baked bread is topped with freshly chopped tomato, onions and fresh basil drizzled with evoo, but not too much, just right for pretty picky Goldilocks Peachy who likes just enough accent without too much on anything. The Brick Oven Pizza page of the menu has over a dozen pizza choices and that could be a review by itself. This visit, we stuck to the regular menu.
The Bruschetta is superior in flavor and freshness and as always pictures are unedited.
Da Nico is truly this fabulous.
We were served water from Italy of course.
The Criscitelli family hails from Naples and please say a prayer for the family matriarch Annette, Nicky's mom who has passed since our last review.
We are huge advocates of fresh green salads, without dressing avid readers know, and the Da Nico menu boasts six winners. The Insalata Spinaci: baby leaf spinach tossed with crispy pancetta, walnuts, fresh mushrooms and orange segments (with zero white strings, just perfect) is unique without being too much and the Avocado Salad is a harbinger of spring with avocado, cherry tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, pesto and balsamic glaze. The dressings were on the side as requested and at Da Nico they listen! Fifty coveted seats are in the first floor at the back of the restaurant and the second floor when open accommodates close to 100 as does the garden outside. Often, either the second floor or the garden are also open but not both at the same time.
If your little heart desires, protein can be added to any of the salads: chicken, shrimp or steak, and if you want the steak you can tell them how you want it grilled. Of course Peachy always orders steak medium rare. We even like the music at Da Nico and among the favorites we heard was Tony Bennett who was amazing to meet in person and a fabulously nice guy. Not only did we like the music content but we also liked the ambient volume which was perfect and not at all obtrusive. Sadly this is getting harder and harder to find today at all restaurants that are not as classy as Da Nico.
A special the night we visited was Linguine di Granchio: fresh homemade linguine tossed with crabmeat in a red wine braised red sauce. You absolutely should not ignore this crabby elegant endeavor which satisfied the constant inner craving for crabbiness that is intrinsic to Peachy Deegan. Also on the specials is Lobster fra Diavolo which Nicky the son tells us is his favorite.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara boasts excellent elevated flavor with prosciutto, pancetta, onions, egg yolks and pecorino cheese. The Pasta section of the Da Nico menu is indeed commanding; we also find it fun to see what Steve Schirripa posts about what he and Willieboy are eating at Da Nico and you should be reading Woke Up This Morning. Like Tony Bennett, Steve is incredibly nice and also talented in person and you should watch his superlative performances in Blue Bloods, one of the best shows ever, and if CBS is smart they will give Steve Schirripa his own spinoff too.
Obviously even better with more cheese:
Taking a page from the Frankie Criscitelli playbook, Nicky the son shared some of their Super Tuscan with Peachy and they know she absolutely adores Super Tuscan and especially theirs.
We really love fish done well and the Grilled Salmon at Da Nico is among the very best you will find anywhere in New York. The purity of the grilled flavor emblazoned upon the fish is testament to the freshness. It's not masked by sauces because it doesn't need to be: it is triumphant and extraordinary on a standalone basis. The zucchini, carrots and eggplant especially sing backup in perfect flavor pairing.
There are five vegetable side choices and Broccoli Rabe is a winner: Italian Broccoli sauteed with garlic and olive oil is classic, delicious and nutritious. Peachy loves garlic and the garlic highlight earned rounds of applause from her tastebuds.
Peachy's devotion to Chicken Parm gave birth to a column on it here, and it's truly sensational at Da Nico. Pollo Parmigiana smiles at you with its Chicken Cutlets perfectly pounded and topped with mozzarella and tomato sauce served with pasta. We're told there is even a French cut version which we will try another time.
Zeppole boasts wide appeal and even if you normally are not one to go for anything close to donuts (Peachy) you will not be able to resist this and it indeed had a short life. To balance it out nutritionally, the fruit plate was an equally delicious champion!
Da Nico continues to be Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
